Roccat Arvo review

Can this compact gaming keyboard redeem Roccat's previous efforts?

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Our Verdict

A solid offering from Roccat that would suit the space starved as well as the regular LAN gamers

For

Good build quality

Well designed

Compact but not too small

Against

The stealth fighter look may not appeal to all

As a regular reader you might well have noticed German peripheral manufacturer Roccat hasn't got off to the greatest of starts in these hallowed pages.

The Valo keyboard was overpriced and refused to work pre-OS and the Kone mouse stuck its head in the sand and refused to acknowledge the existence of Windows 7 despite its claims to the contrary.

So, third time lucky with the Arvo? Thankfully it's a resounding yes.

The Arvo is a compact keyboard designed to take up the minimum space on your desktop without sacrificing any functionality. We're not talking notebook keyboard design here; the Arvo comes with a fully functional num-pad, but with a touch of a switch you can access the alternate navigation keys (home, cursor keys, page up/down, etc.).

The function keys are recessed into the top of the board too, reducing their footprint while still making them accessible. This is still a gaming keyboard though and as such has three programmable buttons beneath the space bar. They require a definite press though, so mis-strikes are kept to a minimum.

The keys are perfectly positioned for your thumb when your left hand's resting in the traditional gamer's WSAD claw. The build quality is one thing we never had a problem with despite our other issues with Roccat kit, and that's carried over to the Arvo.

It's solid with a reassuringly tactile action to the keys and no bend in the board. It's fairly aesthetically pleasing too if you're into your rather angular, stealth fighter look.

The recessed F keys might take a little getting used to, but for those of us with cramped desktops (i.e. we're that damned messy) or if you travel to LAN parties a lot it's a definite winner.

So well done, Roccat, you've finally hit the right note. On the third try.

Tech Specs

Product Type

Keyboard

Keyboard/Keypad Host Interface

USB 1.1

Colour

Black

Brand Name

Roccat

Keyboard/Keypad Connectivity Technology

Cable

Device Supported

Computer

Localization

English (US)

Keyboard/Keypad Width

390 mm

Keyboard/Keypad Depth

140 mm

Manufacturer

Roccat Studios

Product Model

Arvo

Product Name

Arvo Keyboard

Manufacturer Part Number

ROC-12-501

Manufacturer Website Address

http://www.roccat.org

Marketing Information

ROCCAT Arvo - Compact Gaming Keyboard

The only keyboard featuring macro keys for the thumb

More space on the desktop without the need to forgo all the usual functions. This and a whole lot more besides is offered by the compact ROCCAT Arvo. It's the first keyboard to offer a gaming mode integrated into the numpad and unique thumbster keys. These three extra keys can be assigned macros or the practical timer function, which can't be found on any other keyboard on the planet.